The present invention relates to a low-profile wrench, particularly a low-profile wrench that is adapted for use with a powered driver mechanism.
A common problem for designers of mechanical equipment employing bolts, nuts, screws or other such rotational fasteners is providing sufficient space around the fasteners to permit a wrench and its required range of motion to fit. Conversely, mechanics charged with installing or removing the fasteners have the problem of fitting the tool into the space provided.
Air or electric powered wrenches provide the advantage of reducing the range of motion required for operating a wrench that must otherwise be turned by hand as well as reducing effort and increasing speed; however, such wrenches are generally bulky and are difficult or impossible to use in tight quarters. They also exert considerable torque so that a firm grip is needed to use them.
Some wrench designs have been disclosed that may facilitate access to fasteners in tight quarters and provide for the use of a powered wrench. For example, the wrench disclosed in Frenkel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,136, employs a rack-and-pinion type gear drive to alter the direction of torque by 90 degrees and thereby permit access to tight quarters. However, the rotatable drive shaft of the Frenkel wrench must be laterally offset from the plane of the companion gear, as shown in FIG. 4 of Frenkel, which requires additional lateral space and thereby imposes a limitation on the degree to which the width of the wrench can be minimized. Begin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,343 employs a worm shaft and worm drive in a power driven socket wrench that reduces the required width of the wrench; however, the Begin wrench can be used only for a male coupling feature such as a square drive. Such a male coupling feature necessarily limits the degree to which the width of the wrench can be minimized.
Especially where a female coupling feature is used, such as in the Frenkel wrench, and also where a male coupling feature that is not a standardized drive element is used, there is the additional problem of employing the wrench for a variety of different shapes and sizes of fastener. This requires a corresponding variety of sizes and shapes for the bit. In that regard, the Frenkel wrench provides for removing a socket head that includes the rack gear portion of the rack-and-pinion drive and the bearings for rotationally supporting the rack gear, as well as the bit used for coupling to the fastener. Accordingly, to replace the bit requires replacing all of these other parts as well, and providing interchangeable parts requires providing a plurality of relatively expensive and bulky parts.
Accordingly, there is a need for a low-profile wrench that minimizes the width thereof to permit use in limited space and that preferably facilitates the use of an air or electric powered wrench, and that also facilitates and makes more economical the use of the wrench with a variety of different sizes and shapes of fastener.
The low-profile wrench of the present invention solves the aforementioned problems and meets the aforementioned need by providing a wrench comprising an elongate, radially asymmetric housing that encloses two turning members having axes of rotation that are angled with respect to one another and facilitates gripping so that the wrench does not rotate in the user""s hand. One of the turning members has an axis of rotation oriented in the elongate dimension of the wrench and receives the turning force. It transmits the turning force to the other turning member, which is oriented in a narrow dimension of the wrench and is adapted to be coupled to a fastener, thereby converting torque from an elongate direction to a lateral direction for turning the fastener. Preferably, the turning force is provided by a motor, such as an electric or pneumatic motor, though this is not essential.
In one aspect of the invention, a housing is provided for substantially enclosing the turning members, wherein the housing has a height that is substantially greater than its width.
In another aspect of the invention, one of the turning members receives the turning force at an input thereof, the input being provided in the form of a knob adapted for turning by the fingers, for indexing the other turning member to match the orientation of the fastener. In conjunction, the housing provides for a partial enclosure of this knob to protect it from damage while also providing manipulative access to the knob.
In still another aspect of the invention, the turning members comprise a worm shaft and a worm gear, the worm gear including a throughport defining a coupling feature for coupling to the fastener. Preferably, the throughport is adapted to receive an interchangeable insert.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the worm gear has a recess on a lateral face thereof for receiving a bearing for rotationally supporting the worm gear.
In still another aspect of the invention, the turning members comprise a worm shaft and a worm gear, the worm gear including a recess on a lateral face thereof for receiving a bearing for rotationally supporting the worm gear and is adapted to receive an interchangeable insert.
In a further aspect of the invention, one of the turning members includes a port through the turning member for receiving an interchangeable insert.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved low-profile wrench.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-profile wrench that may be used in limited space.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a low-profile wrench that facilitates powered operation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a low-profile wrench that facilitates use of the wrench with a variety of different sizes and shapes of fastener.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a low-profile wrench that economizes use of the wrench with a variety of different sizes and shapes of fastener.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawings.